What does it truly feel like to speak from the heart? How do we speak of our heartache, our love and loss, our journey to rise above it all without feeling disingenuous? Too often, we shape our words to suit the world around us, softening our voices to avoid discomfort or rejection. In doing so, we trade authenticity for acceptance. But how can we expect others to understand us - to stand by us at our lowest - if all we ever offer is the polished illusion of strength and control?

Drop the Façade is a collection of over 30 poems written over the span of nearly 20 years. This collection features poetry that varies in form and metric structure, but each poem aims to reveal something about the author's inner world. It is her hope that you will do the same and learn to connect more deeply with other humans. It's time to drop the façade - to be vulnerable with others in a way uncharacteristic of this often superficial world.